The present invention relates to a system for measuring torque applied by each leg of the rider to the drive sprocket of a bicycle.
Bicycle races have become an increasingly competitive sport where athletes involved train for several months and frequently are members of teams which compete professionally. Professional and other competitive racers employ a variety of training equipment to determine the total amount of power they deliver to the bicycle. There have been several proposals to record and allow the cyclist or trainer to analyze an individual cyclist's output power. The measurement methods employed include torque monitors mounted to the hubs of the bicycle to measure the power output to the wheels, strain gauges mounted within the sprocket spiders, chain tension measuring devices, and torsion sensors in the bottom bracket of the bicycle. These products are all somewhat costly and only display the total amount of power generated by the cyclist, therefore, the cyclist cannot evaluate individual leg performance.
Consequently, there remains a need for a system which provides individual (i.e., left and right leg) applied torque measurements, such that the data can be collected and subsequently analyzed to allow the user to improve their performance. Such a system must be robust and capable of withstanding the cycling environment encountered while collecting data during the course of a race or training exercise.